Sensor development for corrosion monitoring of stainless steels in H₂SO₄ solutions

Equipment made of different stainless steels is often used in the hydrometallurgical processing industry. In this study, an electrical resistance sensor was developed for monitoring corrosion in acidic solutions at high temperature. Two types of stainless steel were used as the electrode materials, namely grade 316L stainless steel (EN 1.4404) and grade 2507 duplex stainless steel (EN 1.4410). The materials and sensors were exposed to a 10% H2SO4 solution containing 5000 mg/L of NaCl at various temperatures. Results from the sensors were verified using electrochemical techniques and postexposure examination. Results showed that the microstructure played an important role in the interpretation of corrosion rates, highlighting the importance of using an appropriate stainless steel for the production of sensors. Electrochemical tests and postexposure examination both showed that the grade 2507 had a significantly lower corrosion rate compared to the grade 316L. Under industrial‑process conditions, the results for the grade 2507 sensor were promising with respect to sensor durability and performance, despite the extremely harsh operating environment

Knowledge synthesis: Animal health and welfare in organic pig production - Final Report COREPIG

This report reviews the available information on the welfare of pigs when maintained according to organic standards in Europe. It begins by overviewing the populations of organic pigs in different countries at the time of writing (2007), the organic standards which govern their management and the systems in which they are typically kept. It then reviews for each stage in the production cycle (sows, suckling piglets, weaned pigs and fattening pigs) the available literature on health and welfare problems which might be experienced by the animals and the hazards which might give rise to these problems. Finally the report reviews the methods current available for the measurement of pig health and welfare and the extent to which monitoring systems currently exist in different countries, or might be developed. The information gathered in this review formed the basis for the subsequent development of tools for use in a HACCP based management and surveillance system for organic pig herds. These tools will assist the organic pig farmer to prevent selected pig diseases and welfare problems by monitoring and controlling the risk factors. Further details can be found on the COREPIG project website www.icrofs.org/coreorganic/corepig.htm

Erosion wear of vinylester matrix composites in aqueous and acidic environments at elevated temperatures

Slurry erosion wear performance of glass fibre reinforced vinylester composite (FRP) has been studied using a pilot-scale erosion test apparatus. Tests were conducted at elevated temperatures in aqueous and acidic environments. When using fine quartz as an abrasive material, FRP showed higher mass losses in the aqueous environment than in the acidic conditions, especially at higher temperatures. In this case, the FRP degradation was governed by the penetration of the used medium into the FRP structure. According to the absorption studies, the weight gain of the laminate was more pronounced in the water immersion compared to the acidic solution, which can be a prediction of an increased degradation rate and explain the higher wear in the aqueous medium. When the abrasive material was changed from fine to coarse quartz, the removal of the shielding matrix phase was extensive and a direct route for the acidic solution to the fibres was created causing more severe damage. This was also shown in scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies, where the samples tested in the acidic solution showed extensive fibre flattening along the erosion flux. By increasing the test temperature close to the boiling point of the medium, an increase in the FRP wear could be seen. The increase in the rotation speed, on the other hand, did not automatically mean higher mass losses. This shows that the wear environment in the present test device is highly complicated with several interrelated parameters affecting the results.acceptedVersionPeer reviewe

Intercalibration of a concentration McMaster Technique between eight European laboratories

Prior to a European prevalence survey of intestinal parasites of organic pig herds it was decided to introduce one common technique for faecal egg counts and to compare its execution at all involved laboratories to ensure data compatibility. It was clearly shown that avoid confounding variation it is extremely important not only to use identical techniques but also to implement the technique in exactly the same way

Biocultural diversity (BCD) in European cities : interactions between motivations, experiences and environment in public parks

Urban green spaces (UGS) provide multiple benefits, and public parks in particular have a key role in supporting ecological and social sustainability in cities, contributing to human-nature interactions. We studied the interrelationships between uses, experiences and the environment by adopting a novel concept of urban biocultural diversity (BCD). The concept identifies three interlinked spheres of urban BCD: materialised, lived and stewardship. We conducted place-based research in 33 parks located in four European capitals: Helsinki, Berlin, Bucharest and Lisbon. A total of 1474 visitors were interviewed concerning their motivations to use the park and their experiences during the visit. Using an open-ended survey, we revealed more than 50 motivations for park use and over 100 features people enjoyed during their visits. On the other hand, visitors mentioned far fewer things that disturbed them (60). We revealed that despite the fact motivations to use parks were strongly human-oriented, visitors widely enjoyed the environmental characteristics of parks, and especially nature. We found that parks located in neighbourhoods with low socio-economic status and outside the central area of the city were structurally less diverse than parks located in the city core. The structurally diverse parks enhanced motivations to use them, and increased overall enjoyments of the environment. We revealed clear differences in motivations and enjoyments between cities, implying that the day-to-day practices of people using and experiencing nature varies between cities.peerReviewe

Ring-fused 2-pyridones effective against multidrug-resistant Gram-positive pathogens and synergistic with standard-of-care antibiotics

The alarming rise of multidrug-resistant Gram-positive bacteria has precipitated a healthcare crisis, necessitating the development of new antimicrobial therapies. Here we describe a new class of antibiotics based on a ring-fused 2-pyridone backbone, which are active against vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), a serious threat as classified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other multidrug-resistant Gram-positive bacteria. Ring-fused 2-pyridone antibiotics have bacteriostatic activity against actively dividing exponential phase enterococcal cells and bactericidal activity against nondividing stationary phase enterococcal cells. The molecular mechanism of drug-induced killing of stationary phase cells mimics aspects of fratricide observed in enterococcal biofilms, where both are mediated by the Atn autolysin and the GelE protease. In addition, combinations of sublethal concentrations of ring-fused 2-pyridones and standard-of-care antibiotics, such as vancomycin, were found to synergize to kill clinical strains of VRE. Furthermore, a broad range of antibiotic resistant Gram-positive pathogens, including those responsible for the increasing incidence of antibiotic resistant healthcare-associated infections, are susceptible to this new class of 2-pyridone antibiotics. Given the broad antibacterial activities of ring-fused 2-pyridone compounds against Gram-positive (GmP) bacteria we term these compounds GmPcides, which hold promise in combating the rising tide of antibiotic resistant Gram-positive pathogens

Oppimaan oppiminen Vantaan peruskouluissa 2018-2021

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Koulunkäynti, opetus ja hyvinvointi kouluyhteisössä koronaepidemian aikana : Tuloksia syksyn 2020 aineistonkeruusta

Tämä väliraportti esittelee syksyllä 2020 toteutetun kyselytutkimuksen tuloksia. Syksyn aineistonkeruu on osa keväällä 2020 käynnistettyä valtakunnallista tutkimushanketta, jossa selvitetään koronapandemian vaikutuksia koulunkäyntiin, opetukseen sekä oppilaiden, huoltajien ja koulun henkilökunnan hyvinvointiin. Tutkimusta toteuttavat yhteistyössä Helsingin ja Tampereen yliopistot. Raportti on muodostettu teemoittain siten, että kunkin teeman yhteyteen on koottu teemaa koskevat tulokset usean eri vastaajaryhmän osalta. Syksyn aineistonkeruu toteutettiin marraskuun 2020 aikana. Aineistonkeruun ensimmäinen kierros oli 9.-22.11.2020. Kouluille, jotka eivät tänä aikana olleet vastanneet, lähetettiin muistutusviesti ja heille annettiin mahdollisuus osallistua tutkimukseen 24.-30.11.20. Kuten keväällä, aineistoa kerättiin samanaikaisesti viideltä eri vastaajaryhmältä (oppilaat, huoltajat, opettajat, rehtorit sekä oppilashuoltohenkilöstö ja koulun muu henkilöstö). Tarkempia tietoja vastaajaryhmittäin on koottu seuraavalle sivulle. Tutkimuksen tulokset on raportoitu pääosin eri vastaajaryhmien vastauksia esittävinä jakaumina. Kuvaukset aineiston analyysissa käytetyistä monimutkaisemmista tilastollisista menetelmistä löytyvät raportin lopussa olevasta menetelmäliitteestä

Oppimaan oppiminen Vantaan peruskouluissa 2018–2021

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